If you find yourself suddenly dipping your toe back into the world of dating, be prepared to study up on your terminology before you download all of those apps onto your phone.
The dating world continues to adopt and use words to describe situations that you rarely encounter among your non-dating acquaintances.
Ever found yourself in a situationship? When was the last time you accused someone of zombieing you?
The latest dating buzzword, like many of these terms, is all about what the other person can do for you.
What Is Paperclipping?
A growing trend among those looking for companionship is what is being called “paperclipping.” Cosmopolitan magazine recently shined a light on the topic of paperclipping, describing is as a someone who keeps minimal contact with someone else just in case they happen to need them in the future.
“This behavior, reminiscent of breadcrumbing, sees old flames reappearing, but with grand gestures but with casual, noncommittal messages that are hard to interpret,” Cosmopolitan reports.
The name was apparently inspired by the Clippy mascot featured in Microsoft Word that would pop up on the screen to see if you needed anything.
Paperclipping might look something like this:
- You receive a message from someone that you went out on a few dates with nearly two months after the last time you saw each other. The message reads: “What’s new?”
- You take the time to explain everything that has happened in your life over the past two months.
- Nothing happens for another month or so when the other person finally messages you back.
Why You Don’t Need Paperclipping In Your Life
There’s a whole host of potential issues when it comes to paperclipping. NBC News found that the tactic often leads to instability in relationships for both the paperclipper and the person being paperclipped.
And do you really think that other person is ever going to commit anyway?
“Online dating, social media and the general ease of communicating via text have made it easier than ever to behave like a jerk (for lack of better word) – especially where romantic endeavors are concerned,” NBC News said in its report.
Just remember: This is dating, not the business world where you are trying to connect with as many people as possible in order to advance your career.
